Abbas to go to the UN despite Obama's plea and date announced tuesday - Polidicks

[t]http://www.aljazeera.com/mritems/Images/2012/5/18//2012518104614520734_20.jpg[/t] • [B]The PA says that statehood would create a new terms of reference for any future negotiations with Israel [EPA][/B] [QUOTE] [B]The Palestinian Authority (PA) says it will be proceeding in its bid to obtain non-member state status at the United Nations, despite objections from the United States, a PA official has revealed.[/B] Mohammad Shtayyeh, a member of the Palestinian team working on the UN bid[B], said in Ramallah on Monday that the application will be made no later than November 29, with a final date to be announced on Tuesday by the Arab League.[/B] He said Barack Obama, the US president, called Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday to voice his opposition to the UN move, but that the Palestinian leader made it clear the decision was final. [B]"The train has left the station," Shtayyeh said, who added that Obama's tone "was not aggressive, it was normal."[/B] [B]The Obama administration has repeatedly said it opposes the unilateral moves toward UN membership by Palestinians and that Palestinian statehood should be achieved through negotiations with Israel.[/B] Shtayyeh called the UN bid "a peaceful measure," with a goal to get recognition of a Palestinian state with defined borders. "We are going to the UN to preserve the two-state solution," he said. 'Humiliating negotiations' Shtayyeh said threats by Israel and the US to take punitive financial measures against the Palestinians if they insist on getting non-member state status in the UN would not change anything. [B]"I find it extremely shocking that the US and Israel would oppose this step,"[/B] he said, asking, "What did we do to deserve this punishment? Did we declare war?" Last year, a Palestinian bid for full UN membership - in effect recognition of Palestinian statehood - fell through when it became clear it lacked the Security Council votes needed. The current bid needs only ratification by the body's General Assembly. Palestinian organisers have said that they have enough support to pass the measure. Achieving non-member state status would allow Palestinians to become members of major international bodies, and create new terms of reference to any future negotiations with Israel. [B]"We are not going back to humiliating negotiations," Shtayyeh said. "There will either be meaningful negotiations or no negotiations at all." [/B] [/QUOTE] [URL="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/11/20121112145346888315.html"]aljazeera[/URL] I like how they're just ignoring the fuck ton of international pressure and restrictions, its inspiring.

[QUOTE=laserguided;38422070] I like how they're just ignoring the fuck ton of international pressure and restrictions, its inspiring.[/QUOTE] They have more to gain by going than not going, you know.

[QUOTE=Glorbo;38424369]They have more to gain by going than not going, you know.[/QUOTE] Only if other countries aid them, since the US would likely cut off aid to Palestine, and Israel would get pissed and keep the Palestinians tax money.

Whenever someone talks about Abbas I think they're just missing an apostrophe and that they reformed Abba

[QUOTE=Glorbo;38424369]They have more to gain by going than not going, you know.[/QUOTE] Says the Israeli.

Good luck to them. They need some right now.

[QUOTE=killerteacup;38427624]Whenever someone talks about Abbas I think they're just missing an apostrophe and that they reformed Abba[/QUOTE] ABBA, not Abba.

[QUOTE]"We are not going back to humiliating negotiations," Shtayyeh said. "There will either be meaningful negotiations or no negotiations at all."[/QUOTE] Good. That's exactly the kind of attitude needed. Palestine shouldn't wait around for the US to be done dealing with Israel and Iran to move forward its plans for independence. But then this will end with disappointment either way. I just hope they lose the bid with a better margin than they have before.

Mama Mia.. Here we go again! My, my!